Believe it or not, LSU football has never played these FBS teams
By John Fye
Who’s left in the Big’s for LSU football?
The Big 12 has enjoyed 5 CFP appearances, including four trips by the Oklahoma Sooners. Such includes their 2019 annihilation courtesy of LSU football. Most recently, the TCU Horned Frogs earned the Big 12’s first CFP win but were destroyed by the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship game.
Kansas Jayhawks: Kansas is the only Big 12 college football team that has never played LSU football. The Jayhawks are coming off an interesting 2022 season, including a Liberty Bowl win over the Arkansas Razorbacks in three overtimes. At one point, Kansas was ranked 19th by the AP Poll but suffered down the stretch and finished the season 6-7. LSU football is loosely affiliated with the Jayhawks through former head coach Les Miles. Miles served as Kansas’ head coach less than three years after LSU fired him.
The Big Ten is undoubtedly the SEC’s greatest competition within the college football landscape. Headlined by the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Big Ten has 8 College Football Playoff appearances, including the inaugural national championship win. Also, the Big Ten is the only conference other than the SEC to see two of their teams enter the CFP in the same season.
LSU football has played a majority of the Big Ten in college football. However, a few schools remain void of the Tigers’ schedule, including one major program we could not believe.
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Michigan Wolverines: It is almost unbelievable that LSU football has never played Michigan. Such is so incredible that we looked it up twice. The Wolverines are one of the most storied programs in college football and the reigning Big Ten champions. Led by Jim Harbaugh, Michigan is (finally) back in the national championship picture after several disappointing seasons. However, the Wolverines’ first CFP appearance was spoiled by an upset loss to TCU. LSU football and Michigan may meet in the CFP soon as the odds of such greatly increase after the playoff expands to 12 teams in 2024.
Minnesota Golden Gophers: The Gophers will begin their 6th season under animated head coach P.J. Fleck. Minnesota claims seven national championships but has yet to sniff a major title since the 1960s. The Gophers finished 9-4 in 2022, including a rivalry win over Wisconsin in the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Minnesota capped its season by beating Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Northwestern Wildcats: Northwestern is a tough team to root against because they play a hard-nosed style of football that tends to give finesse opponents fits. Pat Fitzgerald has served as Wildcats’ head coach since 2006, the 2nd-longest tenure in the Big Ten. However, 2023 might be Fitzgerald’s final season without a major turnaround. Northwestern finished 2022 with a 1-11 record, a decline from 2021’s 3-9 finish.
Next. Fan reactions to the 2023 LSU football schedule. dark
Obviously, LSU football has played every team in the SEC. However, things might change if the conference continues its expansion efforts in the near future. An eagerness to expand into new territories such as North Carolina and Virginia could result in a short list of FBS teams LSU football has never played.